The Teaching Practice Theory And Assessment

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

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University of Westminster

Amersham and Wycombe College

Mario Santos 740544

Teaching Practice, Theory and Assessment

Module 7LL S04

Patch 2

05/03/2013

Index

Introduction__________________________________________________________page 03

Patch Two___________________________________________________________page 03

Assessment__________________________________________________________page 03

Initial Assessment_____________________________________________________page 04

Formative Assessment_________________________________________________page 05

Summative Assessment________________________________________________page 06

Assessment Strategies_________________________________________________page 07

Bibliography________________________________________________________page 08

Introduction

In order to complete the criteria of the module "Teaching Practice, Theory and Assessment", I have devised a "patchwork" portfolio produced in this document.

"Teaching Practice, Theory and Assessment" Assessment Methods - A ‘patchwork’ portfolio that includes coursework and evidence as follows:

Patch Two

Using a whole group as a case study I have planned and delivered sessions using various assessment strategies. In this Patch Two I will present a rationale for the choice of initial, peer and self-assessment, formative and summative assessment, including e-learning. These forms of assessment are deeply linked with the resources described in Patch One and I will be explaining them in terms.

Assessment

"Assessment serves many different purposes. It can grade the attainment of learners, help to select candidates for jobs or future courses, contribute to evidence of the effectiveness of courses and teachers, and provide a long term-goal for learners. But this applies mainly to the final or summative assessment of a course, which aims to sum up the learners achievements… The main use of assessment for teachers is the on-going or formative assessment. This is used throughout the course to form judgement on whether, and to what extent, learning has been successful." (Geoff Petty, 2006 p.449).

Initial Assessment

It is important to identify literacy, language, numeracy, ICT and Key Skills at the start of a course in all areas of specialism. On effective courses, teachers will collaborate with language, number and ICT specialists within course teams in devising relevant activities.

Some relevant initial assessment activities that are undertaken by learners could include:

• Literacy, language, numeracy and ICT assessment mapped to the core curriculum levels

• Programme based diagnostic assessment

• Discussions with the learners about their learning history and preferred modes of learning

• Observation of learners in induction and course activities to get a sense of how a learner performs, which activities they enjoy and which they are least comfortable with

• Induction assignments.

If during initial assessment activities there are signs that a learner may have a specific difficulty such as dyslexia or dyscalculia, referral to specialist help would be appropriate and exemplifies the benefit of working collaboratively with specialist colleagues.

Some of these assessments may be administered by literacy, language, numeracy or ICT specialists, for example, diagnostic assessments. Other assessments may be used prior to entry to course, for example, skills check, or by course teachers, for example, initial assessment. Initial assessment tools can be paper-based or IT-based. A good way of keeping track of the initial assessments and preparing individual learning plans is definitely using the Compass online software Prosolution. This is also an excellent tool to create classroom profiles that can help to manage different learning environments and support study skills.

Formative Assessment

Formative assessment is considered the feedback given to students while they are learning the course contents. It is called formative because students should use this informative feedback to better their learning and acknowledged skills, otherwise we cannot call it formative. Formative assessment can be given in different way, for example, it can be given by the teacher, self-assessment and peers. This type of assessment should help the student to identify clear goals, so the students need to know what to do next, otherwise probably they would not do it. Medal and mission is a way to explain how the formative feedback can help students to reach their goals. Medal: the information of what students have done well, and a Mission: information about what needs improving. This type of assessment can be given after the students initiate or conclude practical or theoretical tasks, homework etc., I would like to link this type of assessment to the online quiz resource that I have included in Patch One. The online quiz is a very good formative way of assessment and has been used to give students feedback in the entire spectrum; teacher, self-assessment and peer assessment. This because with the results of the online quiz will give the students the medal and mission information, with peer assessment and discussion student can learn other ways of doing it, and has self-assessment students will have the chance develop a self-critical and reflective habit of mind.

Summative Assessment

Summative assessment takes place at the end of a course or academic year. I would like to link this type of assessment to the Patch One resource for language and Literacy, assignment one, this because this resource is the part one of three mandatory exams for this course, the result of these three assignments will help to give student’s the summative (final) assessment (grade). These assignments have been created form the awarding body Edexcel specification criteria and have been internally verified. Good assessment requires minimizing factors that could lead to misinterpretation of results. Three criteria for meeting this requirement are reliability, validity, and fairness. In Chapter 5 of A Tool Kit for Professional Developers (1993): Alternative Assessment, the authors suggest guidelines for evaluating the quality of assessment instruments:

Reliability is defined as "an indication of the consistency of scores across evaluators or over time." An assessment is considered reliable when the same results occur regardless of when the assessment occurs or who does the scoring.

Validity is defined as "an indication of how well an assessment actually measures what it is supposed to measure." Valid assessments minimize unintended negative consequences. Negative effects of assessments might include restricting curricula to what can be easily assessed, communicating unintended messages about power, control, or social status, and fostering narrow images of the nature of a particular discipline.

Fairness means that an assessment should "allow for students of both genders and all backgrounds to do equally well. All students should have equal opportunity to demonstrate the skills and knowledge being assessed." The fairness of the assessment is jeopardized if unfairness exists either in the task or in the marking. I use the summative assessment final outcomes to analyse and reflect in my teaching practice, during the course and at the end of an academic these outcomes information is used to confirm the effectiveness of my teaching methods and balance it with the student’s rapport.

Assessment Strategies

As an IT teacher, I try making the most of the software and on-line tools and encourage my students to do the same. In my teaching role I have the duties of keeping updated records of students information and grades, course and institutional document. I use software tools as Excel to create formative and summative grading lists and use them as required during my teaching activity to assist me in planning individual or class teaching strategies. I also use the online software Prosolution to create and develop the students individual learning profiles. At the beginning and at several stages of the course students are required to use the same methods to keep track of their learning progress and to check if they are working towards their goals and objectives. In order to acknowledge sources of information students are advised to check the reliability and to reference their sources, this because Turn-it-in software is used to check the assignments against plagiarism.

Geoff Petty (2006) asserts that every course needs assessment strategies. I relate these assessment strategies to the aims and objectives for the course and they respond to considerations such as:

The assessment purpose: in this case the assignment (resource b.) used in Patch One has the ultimate goal of grading the students, for their written work, of course that will also let me acknowledge the students’ progress, give feedback and select learners. Students must be well informed of what is to be assessed and how is to be done. I ensure this strategy by giving assignment brief in great detail and making use of preparation exercises, as work groups, practical tasks and class discussions. I also the students explain the consequences of the results, particularly to those how have done badly or very well. For the ones that have done badly, I will give the detailed feedback in how they can improve their work and will give them a deadline to improve their work. For the ones that have done very well I will give them more challenging tasks (stretch). These assessment strategies are underpinned with the theories of learning explained in Patch One.